Giroux meets Speed Skating Canada to resolve issues

MONTREAL -- The conflict between Olympic gold medallist Mathieu Giroux and Speed Skating Canada took another twist on Thursday.

Speed Skating Canada said Giroux met with three of its representatives on Wednesday in Montreal in an effort to resolve the ongoing dispute between the Olympian and the governing body.

Giroux is enrolled at the University of Montreal but Speed Skating Canada mandates that all of its athletes train in Calgary.

"At this meeting, Speed Skating Canada representatives strongly demonstrated their understanding about my desire to combine my athletic and academic success," said Giroux. "I also understand the obligations of the national team program and accept to work closely with my coaches and teammates, particularly in this pre-Olympic preparation year, as we prepare for continued success in Sochi."

The Canadian Olympic Committee helped the two sides come together.

"Over the last few days, the COC team and I have had several productive discussions with Speed Skating Canada's leadership team," said COC president Marcel Aubut in a statement. "We have offered our immediate and full support to assist finding a mutually agreeable solution between Mathieu and his federation as quickly as possible."

"We are pleased to see that Speed Skating Canada met yesterday with Olympian Mathieu Giroux and we view this as a positive step in the right direction."

Dialogue and discussions will continue between Giroux and Speed Skating Canada.

The two sides will meet again next week to review the proposed training schedule and make sure it meets with Speed Skating Canada's national team training expectations. They will also look at options to assist Giroux's academic requirements at the University of Montreal.